DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
Claim(s) 1-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Han (US 2016/0017515 A1) as evidenced by or in view of Brookhyser et al. (Brookhyser) (US 2022/0048135 A1), Riechel et al. (Riechel) (US 2021/0362277 A1) or Neufeld et al. (Neufeld) (US 2021/0346985 A1).
In regards to claim 1, Han (Figs. 4A-4C and associated text) discloses a laminate comprising: an amorphous glass substrate (item 418, paragraphs 9, 10, 17, 37, 45); and an AlN layer (item 416) formed on the amorphous glass substrate (item 418), wherein the AlN layer (item 416) is c-axis oriented (paragraph 52) on the amorphous glass substrate (item 418), but does not specifically disclose a glass transition temperature (Tg) of the amorphous glass substrate is 720° C. to 810° C., a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the amorphous glass substrate is 3.5×10.sup.−6 [1/K] to 4.0×10.sup.−6 [1/K], and a softening point of the amorphous glass substrate is 950° C. to 1050° C.
As evidence by Brookhyser (paragraph 40), Riechel (paragraph 36) and/or Neufeld (paragraph 30), the amorphous substrate/amorphous glass substrate can be semiconductor or optical device substrate materials (e.g., Al.sub.2O.sub.3, AlN, BeO, Cu, GaAS, GaN, Ge, InP, Si, SiO2, SiC, Si1−xGex (where 0.0001<x<0.9999), or the like, or any combination or alloy thereof), glass (e.g., fused quartz, soda-lime-silica glass, sodium borosilicate glass, lead oxide glass, aluminosilicate glass, germanium oxide glass, aluminate glass, phosphate glass, borate glass, chalcogenide glass, amorphous metal, or the like or any combination thereof), sapphire, polymeric materials (e.g., polyamide, polyimide, polyester, polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyacetal, polycarbonate, modified polyphenylene ether, polybutylene terephthalate, polyphenylene sulfide, polyether sulfone, polyether imide, polyether ether ketone, liquid crystal polymer, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, or any compound, composite or alloy thereof), leather, paper, build-up materials (e.g., AJINOMOTO Build-up Film, also known as “ABF”, etc.), solder resist, or the like or any composite, laminate, or other combination thereof. Examiner notes that it is well known in the art that aluminosilicate glass has a glass transition temperature (Tg) between 600° C. to 800° C, a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of around 3.0×10.sup.−6 [1/K] to 4.2×10.sup.−6 [1/K] and a softening point ranging from 725° C. to over 900° C.
Therefore Han as evidenced and/or modified by Brookhyser, Riechel or Neufeld discloses a glass transition temperature (Tg) of the amorphous glass substrate is 720° C. to 810° C., a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the amorphous glass substrate is 3.5×10.sup.−6 [1/K] to 4.0×10.sup.−6 [1/K], and a softening point of the amorphous glass substrate is 950° C. to 1050° C.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate aluminosilicate glass substrate as taught by Brookhyser, Riechel or Neufeld for the purpose of high maximum working temperatures.
2. The laminate according to claim 1, wherein an arithmetic mean roughness (Ra) on a surface of the amorphous glass substrate is equal to or less than 3 nm.
In regards to claim 3, Han (paragraph 48, Figs. 4A-4C and associated text) as evidenced and/or modified by Brookhyser, Riechel or Neufeld discloses wherein the amorphous glass substrate (item 418) has a local Si—O crystal structure.
In regards to claim 4, Han (paragraph 48, Figs. 4A-4C and associated text) as evidenced and/or modified by Brookhyser, Riechel or Neufeld discloses wherein the AlN layer (item 416) is a thin film deposited and formed on the amorphous glass substrate (item 418).
In regards to claim 5, Han (paragraph 48, Figs. 4A-4C and associated text) as evidenced and/or modified by Brookhyser, Riechel or Neufeld discloses wherein the AlN layer (item 416) is deposited and formed on the amorphous glass substrate at a deposition temperature of 400° C. to 600° C.
The method of forming a device is not germane to the issue of patentability of the device itself. Therefore, this limitation has not been given patentable weight.
In regards to claim 6, Han (paragraph 48, Figs. 4A-4C and associated text) as evidenced and/or modified by Brookhyser, Riechel or Neufeld does not specifically disclose wherein a film thickness of the AlN layer is 20 nm to 400 nm.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the invention to include a film thickness of the AlN layer being 20 nm to 400 nm, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art (In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980)). Examiner notes that the Applicant has not given any criticality as to where any value within the claimed range yields and advantageous or unexpected result.
In regards to claim 7, Han (paragraph 48, Figs. 4A-4C and associated text) as evidenced and/or modified by Brookhyser, Riechel or Neufeld discloses wherein the AlN layer (item 416) is in direct contact with the amorphous glass substrate (item 418).
In regards to claim 8, Han (paragraph 48, Figs. 4A-4C and associated text) as evidenced and/or modified by Brookhyser, Riechel or Neufeld discloses wherein a thickness of the amorphous glass substrate (item 418) is 0.4 mm to 1.0 mm (paragraph 69).
Claim(s) 9-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Han (US 2016/0017515 A1) as evidenced by or in view of Brookhyser et al. (Brookhyser) (US 2022/0048135 A1), Riechel et al. (Riechel) (US 2021/0362277 A1) or Neufeld et al. (Neufeld) (US 2021/0346985 A1) in view of Henn et al. (Henn) (US 2015/0355382 A1).
In regards to claim 9, Han (Figs. 4A-4C and associated text) discloses a method of manufacturing a laminate, the method comprising: preparing an amorphous glass substrate (item 418) having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 720° C. to 810° C., a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of 3.5×10.sup.−6 [1/K] to 4.0×10.sup.−6 [1/K], and a softening point of 950° C. to 1050° C.; and forming an AlN layer (item 416) on the amorphous glass substrate (item 418), but does not specifically disclose preparing an amorphous glass substrate having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 720° C. to 810° C., a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of 3.5×10.sup.−6 [1/K] to 4.0×10.sup.−6 [1/K], and a softening point of 950° C. to 1050° C.
As evidence by Brookhyser (paragraph 40), Riechel (paragraph 36) and/or Neufeld (paragraph 30), the amorphous substrate/amorphous glass substrate can be semiconductor or optical device substrate materials (e.g., Al.sub.2O.sub.3, AlN, BeO, Cu, GaAS, GaN, Ge, InP, Si, SiO2, SiC, Si1−xGex (where 0.0001<x<0.9999), or the like, or any combination or alloy thereof), glass (e.g., fused quartz, soda-lime-silica glass, sodium borosilicate glass, lead oxide glass, aluminosilicate glass, germanium oxide glass, aluminate glass, phosphate glass, borate glass, chalcogenide glass, amorphous metal, or the like or any combination thereof), sapphire, polymeric materials (e.g., polyamide, polyimide, polyester, polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyacetal, polycarbonate, modified polyphenylene ether, polybutylene terephthalate, polyphenylene sulfide, polyether sulfone, polyether imide, polyether ether ketone, liquid crystal polymer, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, or any compound, composite or alloy thereof), leather, paper, build-up materials (e.g., AJINOMOTO Build-up Film, also known as “ABF”, etc.), solder resist, or the like or any composite, laminate, or other combination thereof. Examiner notes that it is well known in the art that aluminosilicate glass has a glass transition temperature (Tg) between 600° C. to 800° C, a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of around 3.0×10.sup.−6 [1/K] to 4.2×10.sup.−6 [1/K] and a softening point ranging from 725° C. to over 900° C.
Therefore Han as evidenced and/or modified by Brookhyser, Riechel or Neufeld discloses a glass transition temperature (Tg) of the amorphous glass substrate is 720° C. to 810° C., a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the amorphous glass substrate is 3.5×10.sup.−6 [1/K] to 4.0×10.sup.−6 [1/K], and a softening point of the amorphous glass substrate is 950° C. to 1050° C.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate aluminosilicate glass substrate as taught by Brookhyser, Riechel or Neufeld for the purpose of high maximum working temperatures.
Han as evidenced and/or modified by Brookhyser, Riechel or Neufeld does not specifically disclose forming an AlN layer on the amorphous glass substrate at a deposition temperature of 400° C. to 600° C.
Henn (paragraphs 42, 64, 71,72) discloses forming an AlN layer on the amorphous glass substrate at a deposition temperature of 400° C. to 600° C (paragraph 72, preferably temperatures above 300° C).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to incorporate aluminosilicate glass substrate as taught by Henn for the purpose of a preferred orientation of the crystal structure can be influenced in a particularly advantageous manner (paragraph 72).
In regards to claim 10, Han (paragraph 48, Figs. 4A-4C and associated text) as evidenced and/or modified by Brookhyser, Riechel or Neufeld does wherein, at the forming, the AlN layer (item 416) is c-axis oriented on the amorphous glass substrate (item 418), but does not specifically disclose the AlN layer is deposited and formed with a film thickness of 20 nm to 400 nm.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the invention to include a film thickness of the AlN layer being 20 nm to 400 nm, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art (In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980)). Examiner notes that the Applicant has not given any criticality as to where any value within the claimed range yields and advantageous or unexpected result.
In regards to claim 11, Han (Figs. 4A-4C and associated text) as evidenced and/or modified by Brookhyser, Riechel or Neufeld discloses wherein the AlN layer (item 416) is deposited on the amorphous glass substrate (item 418) by sputtering (paragraphs 28, 46, 52, 54., 56, 59, 77).
Conclusion
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TELLY D. GREEN
Examiner
Art Unit 2898
/TELLY D GREEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2898 February 4, 2026